A Pledge
by lil-rock14
Summary: He is separated from the team, but in doing so, he unites with people from his past. He wasn’t always the way he was around the team. So detached and hard. The Wraith changed him.
1. Chapter 1

**A Pledge**

Summary: He is separated from the team, but in doing so, he unites with people from his past. He wasn't always the way he was around the team. So detached and hard. The Wraith changed him.

**Disclaimer: I own Garse, Davil, and Arim. I wish I owned Ronon, but sadly I don't. Everyone else belongs to the creators of the show.**

The Team sat in the middle of the village they were at to get supplies. They had been there for two days, which was one day longer than this trip was supposed to take. They would have loved to leave if they weren't being held captive by a group of marauders who thought that the Team was snooping around in their business.

Ronon groaned as he tried to get out of his bonds once again. "You know, if the first fifty times you tried to get out didn't work, maybe one last try will do just the trick," Sheppard said.

"When we are out of here, I'll pay you back for that," Ronon said. He grunted when he started to lose the feeling in his fingers. "And I don't see you trying to get us out of here, _Colonel_," Ronon said condescendingly.

"Ronon, stop struggling," Teyla said before Sheppard could say anything else to get Ronon fired up.

"Why is that every time you guys go to a new planet that isn't as civilized as other planets, you need to get captured?" Ronon asked.

"We don't always or need to get captured. We just do," Sheppard replied. "And you did the capturing the first time we met you."

"Maybe you choose the wrong planets to visit," Ronon said.

"Maybe you're just bad luck," McKay chimed in.

"Now is not the time or the place to be fighting about whose fault this is," Teyla said.

She silenced them as three rather large man walked toward them. The man in front had brown hair that fell to his broad shoulders. The two men behind him were both bald, but with stronger builds. They reminded Sheppard of the men that used to compete in the strongman competitions he used to watch on TV. He sighed when he realized that it would be pointless to try and take them on.

The man with the hair walked over to Teyla and tipped up her chin with his finger. "I could get a good price on a woman like you," he said.

Teyla looked up at him and never broke her gaze. Ronon's eyes widened when he realized who the people standing in front of them were. They were traders, but their trade was people. "Don't touch her," Ronon growled.

One of the other men brought out his gun and pointed it at Ronon's face. "Did he say you could speak?"

The man who was kneeling in front of Teyla stood up. "Put the gun down, Davil," he said. "I apologize for his rudeness. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Arim."

The third man, who had been silent the entire time, walked over to Ronon and pulled his head back by his hair. He took out a knife and traced the mark on Ronon's neck without cutting it. "Look, Arim. A Satedan," he said. "I thought your kind was dead. Wiped out by the Wraith."

"Obviously not," Ronon replied.

The man who was pulling Ronon's hair let go and punched him in the face. Ronon's head snapped to the side. Teyla loudly gasped. "Ron—"

"I'm all right," he said interrupting her before she could tell their captors his name.

"Garse, enough!" Arim yelled.

Arim grabbed Garse by his shirt and threw him to the side. Davil put away his gun and ran to hold Garse back. "You need to control your temper," Davil said, holding Garse back.

Garse pointed to Ronon and struggled to get out of Davil's grasp. "He needs to learn to bite his tongue," Garse yelled.

"I would never listen to people who trade others' lives for their own satisfaction," Ronon said.

Arim knelt down and looked the Satedan in the eyes. "So you know what we plan?" he asked him. Ronon made no move to answer him. He turned to his men. "Get him up and take him to the tent. The Satedan and I need to talk." Davil let go of Garse. "And don't hurt him. Yet," he said as he walked passed them.

The two men walked toward Ronon and each grabbed an arm to hold him down. Davil cut the bonds around his legs. Davil and Garse pulled Ronon to his feet. Ronon started to walk passed the men, but Garse roughly grabbed his arm and forced Ronon to look at him. They stood staring at each other, neither one willing to back down. "Try to run and I will kill all of your companions. Starting with your lady friend," Garse said.

Ronon reluctantly nodded in agreement. He looked back and shot the rest of the Team a look to tell them that he was going to be fine. Garse and Davil led Ronon to the tent. They walked into it and saw two chairs on opposite sides of a table. Arim was already sitting in one of the chairs. "Untie his bonds, gentleman." The two men forcefully cut off Ronon's bonds. He rubbed his wrists after he felt blood quickly rush back into them. "Leave us."

"But Arim," Garse started.

"He won't do anything," he replied. Garse and Davil consented and left the tent. "Have a seat."

"I'd rather not."

"You aren't planning on running or trying to escape are you? Because as soon as you step out of here, you will have thirty men with their guns trained at your head. And then we will have to kill your companions," he said with a smile on his face.

"I don't respond well to threats."

"It isn't a threat. It is a guarantee. So please, have a seat."

Ronon took a seat across from Arim. "What do you want?" Ronon said. A short statement that was right to the point. He wasn't about to start small talk with a man he didn't really know, but what he did know, he didn't like.

"I don't know whether to kill you for knowing our secret, or to offer you a place on my team."

"Do I get a say?"

"Only if you choose the right one. I've always wanted to meet a Satedan."

"Well, now you have. And I'm already a part of a team."

Arim ignored the last part of what he said. "Is it true that you are one of the more intense fighters in the galaxy?"

"I've never met anyone who has said that."

Arim stood up from his seat. "Join my team, Satedan. I would find a perfect place for you. A perfect life for you to live."

"And if I joined you, what would happen to the others?" Ronon asked. Not that he was contemplating joining them; it was just that he needed to know exactly what kind of people he was dealing with.

"We'd be forced to kill them, or separate them to where they cannot find each other. They know what we are, and they will try to stop us. They would find us and destroy our lifestyle. We cannot let them do that."

"I cannot leave them to that. What about if—" Ronon said. He couldn't believe that he was negotiating with this man. But he needed to make sure that the Team would be safe. That she would be safe.

"There is no room for negotiations, Satedan. Garse! Davil!" The two men entered the tent. "Take him to the circle. Prepare him for a fight. Tell Liron and Axel. Bring his companions to the show. And don't give him a weapon. I need to see for myself if what I hear about his race is true."

Garse forcefully pulled Ronon out of the chair, knocking it over. He punched Ronon in the stomach to make sure he wouldn't put up much of a fight. Ronon hunched over. Garse took the opportunity and tried to punch him in the face. Ronon caught his hand a few inches from his nose.

He stood up straight and pushed Garse. At the same time, he pulled Garse's gun out of the holster and aimed it at the owner's head. "What if I give you my decision right now?" Ronon said staring right at Arim.

"You don't want to do that, Satedan. In the blink of an eye, I can send half of my men to your companions and kill them. How many of them will be alive by the time you get out of here?" Ronon dropped his arm and threw the gun off to the side. "Good. Bind him."

Davil took a rope out of his pockets and tied Ronon's hands behind him. Arim walked out of the tent and the three men followed.

**Okay… So this story has nothing to do with No More Waiting. At least, I didn't write it that way. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. Who knows? I hope you all liked it. Please review, and no flames. Lil-Rock**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own Arim, Garse, Davil, Axel, Cilob, and everyone else you've never heard of from the show. Everyone else belongs to the creators of the show.**

Four large men walked over to the remaining members of the Team. They were surprised and concerned to see that Ronon wasn't with them. The men cut their bonds loose from their legs and helped them to stand up. "Where are you taking us?" Teyla asked.

"You will see," one of the men replied.

"Where is he?" Sheppard asked. He was in charge of the mission and his Team and he didn't like that one of them was separated from the group.

"Who?"

"Ro—the Satedan," Teyla said, remembering not to give away their names.

"He is going to put on a show for everyone. Including you."

"What did you do to him?" Teyla asked. Her voice was calm, but Sheppard and McKay knew that she was protective over her Team members. Especially Ronon.

"Nothing. Not yet, at least. Arim is giving us a shot at the Satedan."

"What does that mean?" McKay asked.

"You ask too many questions."

The men led the Team to clear patch of land surrounded by benches. The men forced the three of them to sit. They cut the ropes from their hands. "Stay put," one of them said.

In the middle of the circle was Ronon standing with his hands tied behind his back. He was surrounded by three men and the four men, who escorted the Team, joined them. More men entered and sat on the remaining benches. Arim walked out and sat in a single chair that was supposed to represent a throne. "My friends and guests, I am here to treat you to something special. A fight. A Satedan and our men," Arim introduced.

"And what if I refuse to fight?" Ronon said.

"I have never heard of a Satedan running from a fight," Arim taunted.

"I am not running. I am just not agreeing to the terms given to me."

"Then you will die. I would like to welcome our guests," Arim said, pointing to the Team members.

"This isn't fair!" Teyla yelled.

"Teyla," Sheppard scolded under his breath, although he was feeling the same thing about the fight in front of him.

"No one ever said anything about his being fair." Arim signaled one of his men and he went to stand behind them.

Ronon sighed. "I will fight. As long as they are unharmed."

"All right."

"Promise me," Ronon said.

"You are in no position—"

"Promise me," Ronon yelled, "that they will not be harmed."

"I promise that if you fight, they will not be harmed."

"Okay."

"Good," Arim said. "Sever his bonds." One of the unarmed men walked behind Ronon and cut the rope. "Begin."

Each of the other men had their weapons in their hands. They had swords and knives ranging all different sizes. Ronon quickly turned around and surveyed his opponents. The men laughed because Ronon wasn't as large as they were. He quickly glanced over at the rest of the team and looked away. He took off his coat and threw it off to the side.

He ducked just as someone swung a sword at him. He grabbed the man's arm and twisted it behind him. The man let go of the sword and Ronon caught it an inch from the ground. "Is death allowed in or a part of this sick game?" Ronon asked Arim, holding the sword above the man.

"Do what you must, Satedan. It is all about survival."

Ronon thrust the sword into its previous owner's gut. A man ran toward the lifeless body as it collapsed to the ground. "Cilob!" he yelled. The man looked at Ronon. "You killed my brother."

The man swung a sword at Ronon's body. Ronon jumped back, only to need to duck as another man tried to hit him from behind. He backed himself to the edge of the circle and looked at the men around him. There were six remaining men in the circle, but it looked as if some of the spectators wanted to be a part of the fight. He looked at Sheppard, Teyla, and McKay one last time. "I'm sorry," he said, unsure if they were able to hear him.

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them his eyes were a much darker shade. The men the circle noticed this and stepped back. He took his sword and threw it at one of the men. The man was dead before he hit the ground. At that moment, the men knew that harming the Satedan wasn't going to be an easy task.

He may have been smaller, but he was quicker and more experienced. Ronon ran up to the dead body with the sword sticking out and pulled it out. He stashed another smaller weapon at the same time. He quickly grabbed the sword that was in the corpse's hand and got into a fighting stance.

"You wanted a fight, you got a fight. Let's go!" Ronon roared.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Arim asked his men.

"He killed Cilob and Mitol," answered one of his men.

"And? You embarrass me. Fight. You outnumber him five to one."

"Arim!" one of the men yelled.

"Axel? My own brother," Arim said.

_**Brother**_, Ronon thought. _**He is sending his own brother to die. Monster.**_

Ronon threw both swords blade first into the ground. The blades wavered for a second, but remained standing. He ran toward the men who had obvious fear on their eyes. He jumped up and punched one of them in the face and he fell to the ground.

Ronon spun around and kicked one of the men in the chest. The man fell backward into one of his fellow fighter's blades. The owner of the blade let go and the carcass fell to the ground. As soon as he hit the ground Ronon jumped up and punched the man in the head. He punched him so hard that he snapped his neck.

Ronon stood up and walked over to his blades in the ground. He tore them out of the ground and held them in an x in front of him. He sauntered over to two men who stood in a defense. Ronon fought both of them with ease, blocking their blows, trying to attack them himself. One of the men already had a bruise forming on his face from where Ronon punched him. That fight ended with his blades in their guts.

Six men were down and there was one left. He was younger than the other men and he still had his hair. It was Axel. He walked over to him and Axel dropped his blade. "I cannot believe that your own brother would allow you to fight."

"Me neither," Axel said.

The two of them started to walk in circles. "You're the younger. I can tell," Ronon said. "Isn't the older sibling supposed to protect the younger?"

"How would you know?" Axel asked.

"I just do."

"Let's finish this."

Axel threw a punch, but Ronon caught it. Ronon twisted his arm behind him and pulled on it. A loud pop echoed through his eardrums, dislocating Axel's shoulder. Axel fell to the ground in pain. Ronon took the blade out one of the corpses and approached Axel with it. Axel's eyes widened with dread. He knew he was going to die. Ronon held the blade to his throat. "Maybe your brother will save you," Ronon said.

"Finish it!" Axel said. "He won't save me. I hate this life. I don't want this."

Ronon's eyes widened. He stood up, blade still in hand, and threw it off to the side. "This fight is over," Ronon said. He grabbed Axel's arm and popped his shoulder back in. Axel rolled to his side and threw up. "You might not want to move that for awhile."

Garse grabbed a sword and jumped into the circle. He was in a fighting stance. "Draw your blade, Satedan," Garse said.

Ronon rolled his eyes. He retrieved a blade and stood toe to toe with Garse. The two of them fought for a few minutes. Ronon had the upper hand for most of the time, but he was slowly growing tired. Garse knocked the sword out of Ronon's hand and held the tip of his to Ronon's throat. "Garse, enough!" Arim yelled.

Garse turned his head to Arim, keeping the blade on Ronon. "He has killed my brothers. Our brothers. And he will easily kill you too."

"You doubt me, Garse?" Arim questioned.

"No. I underestimate him."

"Lower your weapon, Garse." Garse dropped his arm. "You too, Satedan." Ronon reached for the band around his wrist and threw a small knife to the side. Arim turned to the other guards. He pointed to Sheppard and his team. "Take them away. No need to bind them. Just keep a gun on the woman's head."

"No. If you hurt them…" Ronon said.

"What if I hurt them Satedan?" Arim questioned. "What will you do?"

"You gave me your word."

"And I will keep it. I am a man of my word. Go."

Four different guards stood up and took the Team, minus Ronon, to their area of the camp. Ronon kept his eyes on the Team to make sure that they remained unharmed. Garse took the opportunity to punch Ronon in the temple, making his vision swim. This brought Ronon to his knees.

Garse punched him one more time, drawing blood. "So the Satedan bleeds," Garse said. He wiped some of the blood off with his palm and smelled it. "You bleed like everyone else."

"I never said I didn't," Ronon growled.

He closed his hand to punch him one more time. "Garse. I said enough." Arim turned to Davil. "I've seen enough."

Davil took out Ronon's stunner and shoot Ronon twice in the back. He fell to the ground unconscious. Davil put the stunner away. "What do you want us to do with him?" he asked Arim.

"Take him back to his companions. I think that he might have made his decision."

Davil walked over to Garse and Ronon. They both took and arm and threw it over their shoulders. They dragged him to his team members.

Garse and Davil threw Ronon's unconscious body at the feet of Teyla. She bent down and put his head on her lap. Her heart clenched when she saw blood dripping down the side of his face. "Ronon," she said, brushing his hair out of his face.

"Teyla, is he all right?" Sheppard asked.

"He is unconscious," she sadly replied.

Sheppard walked over to the man who was watching him. "You can put your gun down. We aren't going anywhere." The guard put his gun down. "What did they do to him?" Sheppard asked him.

"They probably shot him with his stunner. It's a great weapon. He will be fine in a few hours, I think. He is one great fighter."

The sun slowly went down around the camp. Their captors were busy burying the fighters that Ronon killed. Sheppard was busy pacing back and forth trying to figure out a way to get his Team out without getting anyone killed. McKay sat in a corner not able to do anything but complain because he didn't have any electronics within ten feet of him. And Teyla hadn't moved from her position on the ground.

"Ronon, it's time to wake up," Teyla whispered.

"I don't think it's just the stunner, Teyla," Sheppard said. "He must be exhausted from that fight."

Ronon stirred a few minutes later. He groaned and brought an arm slowly to his head. "My head," he murmured. He opened his eyes, which were back to its normal shade, and saw that Teyla was cradling him. He tried to sit up and was forced back down by Teyla. "My chest."

"Are you all right?" Teyla asked.

"I've never been shot with my own weapon before," he said rubbing his chest. Teyla helped Ronon to sit up. "I'm all right."

"Ronon, you were just in a fight. You were shot with your stunner."

Sheppard rubbed his chest also. He remembered the many times that Ronon had shot him with the stunner. "And that hurts," he added.

"Just give me a few minutes," Ronon whispered.

Teyla backed away from him. He stood up and wavered as he did. Teyla ran over and threw his arm around her. "I'm so sorry that you had to see me kill those people."

"It is all right. They would have killed you," Teyla replied.

"That is a side of me I hoped you would never see."

Sheppard looked around and saw the fires start to come up around the camp. "I don't think we are getting out of here," he said.

"And I thought that you were the optimistic one," Ronon said. He separated himself from Teyla. "And I left my coat on the grounds."

"We can get it later," Teyla replied.

"You are worried about your coat?" McKay said. "We could be killed at any second, and all you care about is a coat?"

"It is a good coat." Ronon walked over to the guard. "I need to speak to Arim."

The guard stepped to the side to look at his companions. "Good. He has been waiting for you."

The guard took a rope out of his pocket. "There is no need for that. I just want to talk."

"It's a safety precaution."

"Does he see me as a threat?"

"No. But I do."

Ronon held his hands out to him and the guard tied them together. Ronon walked to Arim's tent, not looking back. He couldn't, because if he did, his heart would break.

**Hope this chapter ended up all right. Okay, so I know that maybe Ronon could have easily got the Team out of there, but he didn't want to risk everyone getting hurt. So yeah. If it seemed unrealistic, my bad, it's for the sake of the story. Well, please review. Lil-Rock**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: You all know. I own Garse, Arim, Davil, and all of the other weird named or nameless people.**

Ronon and the guard arrived at Arim's tent. The guard made him wait outside while he went inside to see what was going on. Ronon could hear people fighting over something on the inside of the tent. "He killed our brothers! You let him! Why?" yelled the first voice.

Ronon recognized that the voice belonged to Garse. They were obviously fighting about him. "Did you see him? What an addition he would be if we brought him to our side." That was Arim.

"He would never leave his team," said the last voice, belonging to Davil. "So many of our best fighters got killed. And for what? A man who will never join or listen to you."

"He will," Arim said confidently.

"And how do you know this?" Garse yelled.

"You doubt my leadership?"

"You sacrificed your own men. Your own brother almost died," Davil replied.

"Sacrifices needed to be made. By everyone."

"With their lives? Then why didn't you fight?" Davil questioned.

"Am I the only one who sees the potential of this situation?"

"Yes," both of them replied.

"You are dismissed."

The two men left the tent without saying another word. They glared at Ronon as they passed him. The guard came out of the tent and gestured for Ronon to follow him. They entered the tent and the guard cut Ronon's bonds. Arim took a seat and Ronon did also. "It's good to see you awake, Satedan." Arim nodded and the guard left the tent.

"Pack your things," Ronon said.

Arim sat up straight. "What?"

"Tell your men to start packing their things. We are leaving Monas tonight."

"We? Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Only if my demands are met," he said sitting up.

"Demands? What demands?"

"Here is what is going to happen."

"And what if I don't like it?"

"You are going to like it," Ronon said firmly. "You are going to tell your men that we are moving. Pack up anything you can before the sun rises. My team is going to fall asleep. When they do, I will shoot… I will shoot them with my stunner. They will be unconscious for a few hours. You will give me two of your men, and we are going to carry them to the nearest Ring of the Ancestors. They will be kept together."

"No. What if you stay with them?"

"I won't. I just won't allow anyone to touch her. Then we move onto the next planet or galaxy, and you start off your trade brand new there. We will be long gone before they wake up."

"This seems a bit too easy."

"What does?"

"You joining me. What changed your mind?"

"I care for those people out there, my friends, more than I hate you."

"Is that the only thing that swayed your decision?"

Ronon stopped before he answered. He looked up and stared into those black eyes across the table. "If you are cold enough to allow your own brother to be killed in an exhibition, I would hate to see what you would have done to your enemy. Tell your people to start cleaning up."

"All right then." Arim stood up from his chair. "Guard!" he yelled. He waited for the man to enter the tent. "Tell the men to clean up camp. We are moving."

The guard nodded and quickly left the tent. "You've agreed to one part of the plan. What about the other parts?" Ronon asked.

"I agree. But only because I _need_ you on my team. But the only way I will allow this is if you shoot your friends."

Ronon looked away. "I wouldn't allow anyone else to," he said softly.

"Are you going to say goodbye to them?"

"Not yet."

"Good. Because I didn't want you to leave just yet." He sat down in his chair once again. He looked up at the Satedan. He saw the distress in his eyes and smiled because he was the cause of it. "I need to know more about the newest member of my team. What position were you in the military?"

"What makes you think I was in the military?"

"The mark on your neck," Arim said pointing to Ronon.

Ronon's hand unconsciously went to his mark. "Specialist."

"And your name?"

"Just call me Satedan."

"I don't find that fair. You know my name and the names of my men. The least you could do is tell me your name."

"It wouldn't do you any good to know," Ronon said. "I don't respond to it."

Arim backed away from that topic. "All right then. Satedan it is. Any secrets I should know about? Your past?"

"I was a Runner," Ronon bluntly said.

"A Runner? Was? Intriguing," he said stroking his chin. "I've always wanted to meet a Runner."

"I'm glad that I'm bringing you such joy," Ronon spat.

"You know, I shouldn't even be agreeing to this. You didn't hold up your end of the bargain."

"What was my end? I did fight."

"You didn't finish it."

Ronon stood up from his chair and slammed his hands on the table. "You wanted me to kill your brother?"

"It would have been a death worth dying."

"Brothers don't do that."

"And you know what it is like to have a brother? To be one?" Ronon sat down. Arim noticed that he obviously stepped in some sensitive territory. But he decided not to push it any further. Not today at least. "That fight looked too easy for you. Why was that?"

"You want to know how I easily defeated your men?"

"It's a question."

Ronon stood up and walked toward the entrance of the tent. "They didn't work as a team. They each wanted the glory for themselves. If they worked together, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you right now. And they showed that they were scared."

"Then they deserved to die."

"Maybe," Ronon replied pulling back the flap. "I'm leaving."

"Satedan," Arim said just as Ronon took a step out the tent.

Ronon stopped in his tracks. "What?" he asked not turning around.

"If you betray me, I will find you and your companions, and kill all of you." Ronon heard the sound of something placed on the table. "I'm going to keep this. Amazing invention your stunner."

Ronon growled and left the tent. He walked out and toward the grounds he was fighting on earlier. Even in the night he could see the blood stains in the dirt. He walked over to his coat on the side and picked it up. He threw it on and walked back to the Team.

What he had done was slowly killing him inside. He was leaving his team for a bunch of traders. Men who have nothing better to do with their lives, but trade people and cause trouble. He got back to the Team and forced himself to look at each one of them.

They were all standing watching the men pack up the supplies, but they couldn't get further than the guard to see what else was going on. They didn't notice that Ronon was standing right there in front of them. Teyla was the first to acknowledge him. "What are they doing, Ronon?" she asked him.

"They are cleaning the site."

"Why?" Sheppard asked.

He paused. "They are afraid that if they stay here any longer, people from Atlantis will come and investigate. They want to get out of here way before then."

"Are we being forced to go with them?" Teyla asked.

Ronon forced himself to look away from her. "I'm not sure," he replied. "Look, it's late. We should get some sleep. We're going to have a long day ahead of us tomorrow if we are going with them."

"I agree," Sheppard said. "There is nothing we can do now. We don't have any weapons right now to defend ourselves, so for now, we are their prisoners."

McKay was more than willing to go to sleep. He lay down and a few seconds later, he was snoring. Sheppard fell asleep with just as much ease. Teyla had a much harder time going to sleep. She couldn't help but think about what she had witnessed today. Ronon had killed six men, and that memory was going to keep her awake.

Ronon walked over to her and took off his coat. He rolled it and placed it in front of her. "Here. I think that it would be more comfortable if you laid on this."

"What about you?"

"I'm not tired." Ronon sat in silence for a few minutes. "Teyla, I'm—"

"Don't worry about it, Ronon."

"You should get some rest."

"Okay." She laid on Ronon's coat and fell asleep.

Ronon walked over to the guard and made him get Arim. Arim entered that part of the camp with Ronon's gun in his hand. "They're asleep."

Ronon held his hand out to Arim. "I'll keep this from your for awhile." He held the gun away from Ronon.

"Why?"

"We aren't ready to leave yet."

"How much longer?"

"Patience, Satedan."

"Patience isn't one of my stronger characteristics. Give me my gun."

Arim placed the stunner in Ronon's hand. Arim reached into his holster and took out two guns. He pointed one at Ronon's chest, and the other at Teyla. "Don't try anything funny."

Ronon set his gun to stun and aimed it at his former team members. His arm visibly shook. He thought about what he was doing. He was going to shoot his friends. He shot McKay first. Then Sheppard. And finally, Teyla. Arim snatched the gun out of his hand after he put away his own guns. "Give me two of your men."

"We are all going."

"Why?"

"The nearest Ring of the Ancestors is East. That is the one that we are traveling though. That is the one we are leaving your friends by."

"Are your men ready to leave?"

"Yes. So who do you want to carry the men?"

"Axel and Davil."

"Axel cannot carry anyone. You dislocated his shoulder, remember."

"Yeah, I remember. Anyone else, but Garse."

Arim nodded. He called for Davil and told him to bring another person. "You two are to carry these men. Do not harm them. We do not need any reason for the Satedan to be angry. Understood?"

Davil picked up Sheppard and the other man picked up McKay. They threw them over their shoulders. Ronon gently picked up Teyla and held her in his arms. He held his coat in his hand. "Are you ready to go?" Ronon asked.

Arim turned to the camp. "Time to leave!" Arim yelled.

His men marched out of the camp walking East. When they got to the Ring of the Ancestors, Garse walked over to the D.H.D. "Where to, Arim?" he asked.

"Somewhere far away from here," he replied.

Ronon walked over to Davil and the man who was carrying McKay. "Put them down here. Gently," he said.

Davil laid Sheppard on the ground. The other man put McKay not too far from him. Ronon put Teyla next to Sheppard. He unfolded his coat and placed it over Teyla. Arim walked over to Ronon with his gun in hand. "Shoot them again," Arim said.

"Why? There is no need for that."

"I can't have them waking up. It isn't a risk I am willing to take."

Ronon took the gun from Arim. He set it to stun and aimed. He looked at his superior, Sheppard, who he came to admire fully. McKay who irritated him so much, but he had finally gotten used to it. He thought about Dr. Weir, who he never got to play a game of chess against. He also thought of Dr. Beckett. He was eternally grateful to that man, and forever indebted.

And finally he looked at Teyla. He didn't know what he could say about Teyla. She was his first friend on Atlantis. And he cared for her with everything he had. And this could have been the last time he was probably going to ever see her. See the rest of the Team. He would never see Atlantis or the people. And he couldn't even say goodbye. He wouldn't say goodbye because if he did, he would not be able to leave them.

He shot each of them one more time. "The Ring is opened," Garse yelled.

But Ronon couldn't hear a word. He was too deep in thought. He didn't even realize that Arim had taken the gun out of his hand. Davil grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the Ring. He looked one last time at his friends and stepped through.

**Thanks for reviewing the previous chapters. Okay, well the next chapter is going to jump forward a few months. But there will be an explanation. Oh yeah, got a question. Is it all right that I am just classifying this as general because I don't really know what else it would fall under. Any suggestions? Thanks for reading and please review. Lil-Rock**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own all of the random people and stuff in this story. Ronon, Teyla, Sheppard, and McKay belong to the creators of the show.**

Ronon awoke to the sound of a cheering crowd. They were giving him a headache. Or at least, making the one he had worse. The pounding on the stands. Fans screaming as loud as they could. He would have loved to bring his hand up to ease the tension in his head, but unfortunately, he was chained to the ground. He looked around and saw that it was midday.

He was weak, underfed, and exhausted both mentally and physically. He sat in the corner of the cell that he had called his home for two months. Two entire months. It smelled of sweat and blood, but it was the only place he could go without anything bad happening.

How did he end up in an arena? Arim and his men left him to die.

It was about twelve days after they left Sheppard, Teyla, and McKay off at the Stargate on Monas. They looked for a new place to start their dealings. They moved to a different planet, Jermaz, and set up their trade there. And they were doing a pretty good job, not that Ronon was proud of what he was a part of.

_Flashback_

_It was Ronon's turn to stand guard for the night and he was more than willing to oblige. He hated being around those men. Though he made a few companions on this team, they wouldn't become family like the Atlantis team. It wasn't the same. And it never would be. He was slowly beginning to accept that fact._

_He was making his rounds, checking at every vulnerable area around the camp. He found a rather large rock and took a seat. It was late, but he needed to stay up. He decided to take the watch by himself. He wanted to be alone._

_He closed his eyes and instantly saw the face of Teyla. Not a day went by that he didn't think about the Team. He wondered if they got back to Atlantis all right. If they were looking for him. Did they miss him? Did she miss him? Because he missed her._

_His head jerked up when he heard the snap of a twig. He unsheathed his sword and made sure his gun was accessible. He stood up from the rock. "Ronon?" a soft voice asked._

_A man no older than twenty stepped out of the camp. "Hort. What are you doing?" Ronon said dropping his sword._

_Hort was one of the few people that Ronon would talk to and the only person who knew Ronon's real name. Hort was young, and Ronon felt he needed to keep an eye on him. Hort was actually the only reason that Ronon stayed. He had many reasons and opportunities to run, but he needed to protect him. He could still be saved._

_Arim's men were training him to become one of them, but Hort was a reluctant learner. When Arim and his men got to the new planet, Jermaz, Hort was unwillingly taken out of his village, and brought to the camp. He was immediately drawn to Ronon. Hort followed him around because he knew that Ronon was different._

_Hort took something out of his pack and held it out to Ronon. It was a piece of meat and some bread. "I thought you would like something to eat."_

_Ronon took it from him. "Thanks." He shoved the entire piece of bread in his mouth. After he swallowed it, he turned to Hort. "You shouldn't be out of the camp."_

"_Neither should you," Hort said, handing Ronon his water skin._

_Ronon took a sip of his water. He heard something in the distance. "I'm keeping watch tonight."_

"_Alone. I could—"_

"_You need to get back into camp," Ronon said putting his sword away and taking out his gun._

"_Ronon?"_

_Ronon pushed Hort behind him and pointed his gun out into the forest. A blue light flashed and Ronon fell to the ground. He was hit with a Wraith stunner, but he didn't fall unconscious. _**There has to be some long term brain damaging effects to getting shot by these stunners all the time**, _he thought._

_Hort knelt down to help Ronon. "Go!" Ronon yelled as loud as he could, pushing him away._

"_Man down!" Hort yelled, running into the camp._

_Ronon heard the shriek of the warning siren blaze throughout the camp. Ronon struggled to stand up again. About twenty men stormed into the camp. A single man walked up to him pointing a stunner at his chest. "How are you still awake?"_

"_Why do you care?" Ronon said._

"_You are strong. Just what I've been looking for."_

_The man swung the stunner across Ronon's face, leveling him. He shot Ronon once more in the chest to make sure that he was finally unconscious._

_End Flashback_

When he awoke, he was tied up in the back of a ship. He saw only two other people from the camp with him. They told him that most of the men got away. Arim didn't even fighting to try and save his men.

Ronon was shocked. It would have been understandable if it was just him, but these two men were with Arim for years. And Arim just left like the coward he was. The two men said that they probably fled to another planet and would eventually go back to Monas when they were sure that the Atlantis team was done searching there. The two men probably said some other things that Ronon would have heard if he didn't feel like he was going to throw up from being shot so many times with a stunner. That was two months ago.

He was taken to a planet, which he didn't know the name, where an arena owner bought him for eight hundred Rowbons. Eight hundred Rowbons? That is all he was worth to these people. And now he was in a cell, chained down, and treated like an animal.

"Satedan!" someone yelled.

Here no one knew his name, but they knew his race. Everyone new his race. And he liked it that way. Because if they knew his name, it meant he had gotten the chance to know them and he respected them. And he couldn't form any bonds here. He wouldn't, because here he would eventually have to kill them or watch them die.

He would usually respond to the call of his race. But he didn't respond to these types of calls. Never did he think he would hate the name of his own race, but now when it was called, it meant that someone was going to die.

He heard the sound of his cell open. Ronon heard the echoing jingle of the cell watcher's endless amount of keys. "Satedan. Did you not hear your call?"

"I was sleeping," Ronon lied.

"Well, it's time."

"Oh, how fun," Ronon flatly replied. His forehead creased in confusion. "Wait. What's happening?"

"You are fighting today."

"No. I'm not fighting today. I'm fighting in three days."

"You are fighting today, and in three days. The owner said so."

"I thought that the Wise Man was fighting today?"

"I guess you didn't hear."

"What happened?"

"He committed suicide last night. We found him hanging from his cell at dawn."

Suicide. That was the third one this month. Ronon would never consider doing it himself, but it was an easy way out of this hell. Too easy. And Ronon never liked things coming to him easy. Killing himself was a thought that never crossed him mind, and he wouldn't disgrace his name that way. Killing himself wasn't an honorable way to die, and that would ensure him a place far from the heavens.

He had seen so much death in this arena. And why? Because people on this planet need to be entertained, and people pay when they are entertained. Even at the expense of other people's lives. "So you expect me to fight today and again in three days?"

"Yes."

"The owner really has it out for me doesn't he?" Ronon asked.

"You bring in a lot of watchers. Not many have seen a Satedan, so you will probably be the only one they will see in their lifetimes. So you must fight."

"And if I don't?"

"You don't have a choice."

_**I've had a lot of my choices made for me or taken away from me**_, Ronon thought.

"Defiance. The sign of a strong willed person. So what are you hiding?" the guard asked.

"Don't mistake my strength for anything else but strength."

"You should be broken by now. Everyone else in this arena has been. And you have been here longer than a lot of them."

"It would take a lot more to break me than this hell," Ronon said. _**But it is getting to be too much.**_

"So are you going to fight?"

"Fine. I will," Ronon said in defeat. "Like you said, I don't have a choice."

The guard walked over to Ronon and unlocked the chains on his wrists and ankles. He rubbed his chaffed wrists and was helped by the guard to his feet. Ronon groaned since it was the first time he had stood up in five days.

It was his punishment for hitting a guard after one of his fights. But he had a good reason to hit him. The guard had insulted the Satedan culture, and Ronon wasn't going to stand for it. After the fight, on his way back to his cell, he saw the man. He punched him in the face, easily breaking his nose.

He wiped the blood from the man's nose on his shirt, and the next thing he felt was a blinding pain. A few hours later, he woke up chained to the ground in his cell. It wasn't the first time that he had been punished, but each time he rebelled against the people who ran the arena, his punishment got more severe.

Ronon passed that same guard as he walked to the entrance of the arena. He smirked when he saw the man with a bandage over his nose. If that guard was ready to start something, Ronon was going to finish it. And he didn't care what his punishment was.

The broken nosed guard strolled over to Ronon, but the guard that was escorting him got in the middle of the two. The guard grabbed Ronon by his arm and dragged him to the entrance of the arena. The guard let Ronon go to stand on his own behind the door. He wavered slightly until he got full use of his legs back. "You know the drill," the guard said.

"Unfortunately." Ronon said. He inhaled deeply. "It smells like rain."

"Something must be wrong with you, because it is sunny out."

"It's going to rain."

The crowd cheered louder as Ronon's opponent was announced. The announcer revealed that Ronon was going to be fighting instead of the Wise Man, and decibel level of the crowd rose even more. He closed his eyes when he heard them start to chant his race. The door in front of him rolled up. Ronon opened his eyes. And they were a darker shade than before. He stepped out, the clouds rolled in front of the sun, and it began to drizzle.

"Satedan! Satedan! Satedan!"

**Thanks for reading. And don't worry there will be a part in the story with what you asked for, the whole when they wake up and realize that Ronon isn't there. I have a question, how old does Ronon seem to you guys in the show? Please review. Lil-Rock**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own Preen, the owner of the arena, the guards, the crowd and nothing or no one else.**

Ronon and the person that he was fighting against were slipping around in the mud which was the effect of the rain.

The man Ronon was fighting against was named Preen. Preen had been a fighter in the arena for a good two years before Ronon got there. And he was still alive. Which meant he had experience. And he had the scars to prove it. And with that experience, he brought Ronon to the ground. Which wasn't an easy thing to do, but Preen thanked the rain, realizing that without it, he would probably be already dead.

Ronon rolled away before a large foot left its imprint on his face. Ronon quickly stood up and looked at Preen. Through all of the mud and rain, Ronon could see Preen struggling to stand and there was a cut above Preen's eyes gushing blood down his face. Preen looked miserable.

And Ronon felt the same way. He was soaking wet, covered in mud, and Preen wasn't exactly the easiest person to beat. He looked up and saw that the rain wasn't going to let up any time soon. "I hate being right," Ronon said.

"What did you say, Satedan?" Preen yelled. His voice cut through the cheering of the crowd.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I don't want those to be your last words," Preen replied.

"I'm not dying here, Preen. And I really don't want to kill you," Ronon yelled.

"Well, someone has to die."

"I already told you, that it isn't going to be me."

Preen revealed a knife that was hidden in the cuff around his wrist. "Are you sure about that?" he asked.

"I was," Ronon said. He would have smiled because he was beginning to sound like Sheppard, but the ring wasn't a place for smiles.

Preen lunged forward swiping the knife and Ronon had only a split second to react and jump backwards. Ronon looked down and saw that there was a new tear in his clothing. If the cut was deep enough to draw blood or cause pain, he didn't feel it. His adrenaline was beginning to kick in. He didn't want to fight, but he had to. And most of all, he didn't want to die in this hell.

The crowd was divided in the new development. Some cheered, while the others complained that it wasn't fair. Ronon looked up to the owner of the arena, who was sitting above the arena in an area that was shaded from the sun and at the time, rain.

He was a fighter, he had been one all his life, and he knew that if he was going to die, it was going to be during a fight. But he could have never guessed that it was going to be as a sport.

LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLR

A man in the crowd stood over a girl as he left his seat. He stared at the hilt of a sword sticking out from under the her cloak, wondering why a girl would need to carry a sword around. He reached to touch it, but before he could, the girl reached, up without looking, and stopped it. She continued to stare forward. "Touch my sword, and you won't be able to touch anything ever again. Get it?"

He yanked his arm out of the girl's grip. The man backed away with his hands in the air defensively. "Got it," he replied.

"Good," she stated, her gaze never leaving the fight in front of her. The girl looked out of place because unlike everyone else in the crowd cheering, she just sat and watched.

LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLR

Preen swung the knife at him one more time, but this time completely missed Ronon. The miss caused Preen to lose his balance and Ronon took the opportunity to grab his wrist and twisted it behind his back. He ripped the knife from his fingers and in one quick motion slashed it across Preen's neck.

But the blow wasn't a fatal one. Preen fell to the ground with a shallow cut across his throat. Not a quick killing cut, but more of a cut for a slow, agonizing death. Ronon looked on as the man before him struggled to breathe. He knelt down next to him and shook his head in disgust.

Ronon's eyes pleaded with Preen to let him end his suffering and Preen nodded in agreement. Ronon raised the knife and with a quick spear through the heart, Preen was dead. Ronon's hand went to Preen's eyes and closed them. He blinked away tears, or what would have been distinguished as tears if it weren't raining.

Ronon stood up and walked to the center of the arena. The crowd cheered in his victory.

He held Preen's knife in his palm and stared at it. On it was the blood of the man he had just killed washing away with the rain. Another life was gone because of him. Well, actually not because of just him. It was because of a man whose name he didn't even know. He took Preen's knife and threw it at the post that was holding up the shade for the owner and his company. It wouldn't have been so bad, but it was inches from the owners head.

The crowd gasped. They had just witnessed what could have possibly been Ronon's most rebellious form of defiance. Everyone in the owner's box stood up either in fear or disgust. "Seize him!" he yelled.

The girl with the sword in the crowd with the sword sighed and shook her head. She silently swore at what had happened in front of her. "Not a smart move, Ronon," she whispered.

Ronon raised his hands in defeat and let the guards detain him. He knew better than to take on more than three guards in the condition he was in. They forced him to his knees. Ronon chastised himself for doing something so irrational. But all irrational thoughts went out the door when he was captured. "Bad move, Satedan," one of the guards said.

"Master Kane, what do we do with him?" another guard asked. Ronon finally knew the name of the owner of this hellhole.

"Flog him for an attempted assassination," he yelled. "Thirty times."

"If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have missed," Ronon mumbled.

One of the guards kneed him in the side forcing a grunt from Ronon's lips. "What did he say?" Kane yelled.

"If I wanted to kill you," he yelled, "I wouldn't have missed."

"And thirty more for insubordination."

With that, Kane and his entourage left the arena.

The girl looked on as the owner left and as the Satedan was escorted out of the arena. "Animals," the girl said. She adjusted her sword and pulled the hood of her cloak over her face. "I will see you tonight, anari. You will be reunited with your own." She stood up and walked out of the arena with the crowd.

Back in the arena, the guards escorted Ronon into the center. He was forced into heavy chains, making it difficult to walk. Apparently he tried to kill the owner, and that was a crime in the arena. They wouldn't give him the chance to do it again.

When he returned, there were two posts set up with chains hanging down from them. A door on the side opened and what Ronon saw shocked him. It was Kane. "Get the other fighters out here," he commanded. "You tried to kill me."

"Like I said before, if I really wanted to kill you. I mean really. I wouldn't have missed."

The other fighters slowly made their way into the arena. Many of them were confused with what was going on. All were surprised to see Kane standing in front of them. "Satedan, your defiance is almost inspiring," he started. "Almost. Your rebellious actions are causing me much discord. You earned this. I don't enjoy hurting you guys."

"You sure could have fooled me. This coming from a man who owns a fighting arena."

One of the guards removed the chains from his hands and feet while another had a gun trained on his forehead. "I'm not the ones you are fighting. Your actions make a mockery of what I am trying to do. Do you know what rebellion leads to?"

"Why don't you tell me?" he was getting bored with the conversation.

"It leads to more rebellion. The fighters will have it implanted in their heads that they will be able to overthrow us. And I can't have that. You need to be made an example of. These fighters need to know what their actions will earn them. Sixty lashes. That is what defiance will get you! And no one will be spared!" he warned.

The guards took Ronon's shirt off of him. They forced his hands to the chains on the posts and cuffed him around the wrist. Kane walked out of the door he entered and as he exited, someone entered. The man carried the whip.

When Ronon saw who it was, he sighed. He realized that finally in his life, he had crossed the wrong person. He had crossed hundreds of Wraith, his former Task Master, Kell, and many others along the way who he'd fought, but he never regreted crossing them. This man would be the first only because of the vulnerable position he was in. The man had an enormous smile across his face. It was the guard whose nose he broke. "Satedan," the guard said.

Ronon swore to himself in another language. His thoughts roamed to Atlantis. Then to Sateda. Anything to get him as far from where he was at the moment. In the middle of his thoughts, the flogging began, tearing him from them.

The guard laughed as the lashes rained down on Ronon's back. All Ronon could do was concentrate on his breathing. After the first few lashes, he could feel the blood slowly trickling down his back. It was sticky and along with the rain, his clothes would be stained with his blood.

Halfway into it, he stopped counting. He didn't know if the guard was done and just whipping him for revenge and humiliation, but Ronon didn't care at the moment. His back was on fire. The whip rained on his scars from the tracker, and he realized that if he had to walk to his cell on his own, he would make it.

Finally, after what had seemed like an eternity, the flogging stopped and the rain had let up. Ronon's vision had become hazy by the end of it, and his consciousness slowly slipped away from him. The guards released him from the chains and he fell to the ground clumsily. Ronon heard voices in the distance. "That was more than sixty lashes you—"

He raised his hand to stop the man who was protesting. The fighters fell silent. He didn't care for anyone in the arena, but he wouldn't want anyone to suffer the fate he had just gone through. A few fighters and guards went to help him up. He forced himself up to his knees and shook his head. He was going to stand when he was able.

After a few minutes of waiting, he was able to lean against a post and make it to his feet. He slowly walked toward the door that would lead him to his cell. He knew that his consciousness was limited. He made it only a few steps before his consciousness fled. Two guards and a fighter ran to him and caught him before he hit the ground.

At that moment, Ronon had earned the respect of each and every one of the remaining men in the arena. Two guards each put an arm around his shoulder and walked him over to his cell. They thanked the gods that he was unconscious, because if he was awake, he would be in a lot of pain.

They got to his cell and gently laid him down on the ground. They felt bad for him because they knew that no matter how injured he was, he would still have to fight in three days. They hoped that his wounds wouldn't get an infection, but there was nothing they could do about it. Neither of them knew a thing about herbs and medicines, and they weren't about to begin experimenting on a Satedan.

They closed the door and led the rest of the fighters back into their cells. There was a lot of commotion with the events that had just taken place. Many of the fighters spoke to the guards asking if Ronon was going to live. While others hoped he would be all right. His strength was, like Kane said, inspiring.

Darkness fell and the world quieted, but the cells didn't. If anything the commotion became louder at night. Many asking if the Satedan and woken yet. And the answer was no.

Around midnight, the cells had finally quieted down. Many of the fighters had fallen asleep, losing their adrenaline rushes. Within half an hour, both the guards and fighters had fallen asleep, the only sound that was heard was the echoing of snores. A lot of snores.

That is the sound that the young girl from the arena walked into. She entered the cell blocks and saw that no one was conscious. She grabbed the keys off of one of the guards and walked down the row of cells until she found what she was looking for.

She fumbled through the keys trying to figure out which one would get the cell door opened. After a few failures, she finally found the right one. She slowly opened the door, cautious not to make too much noise, and walked into the cell toward Ronon.

The girl stood over his body and watched him while he slept. The rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. The close to silent sounds of his breaths. He somehow made the cold, dirt floor of the cell looks as comfortable as a cloud. But something wasn't right.

She knew from the moment she stepped into the cell. For as long as she had known him, he had always been a light sleeper and the fact that he hadn't even stirred when she entered the cell worried her.

She took a few steps forward, lantern in hand, and gasped at what she saw. His face was furrowed with agony. He was sleeping on his side, and she could see a trail of blood leading to him. She knelt down next to him and set the lantern down beside him. She brushed his brown, blood-matted hair out of his face. Tears fell from her eyes when he didn't give any reaction to her touch. "Anari, it's me, Sage."

She removed her hood and cape from her face. Her long black hair fell to the middle of her back. She was no older than a teen. She took his hand in hers and placed the lantern on the ground. Her free hand moved to his neck to look at his mark. She looked at his back and saw fresh wounds from his punishment. "What have they done to you?"

On the upper part of his back, she saw through the new cuts and noticed the healed scars. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. So much blood. "It's really you," she sobbed. "I've finally found you. After all these years. The Wraith made you a Runner." That made her blood boil.

She looked up. With her acute hearing, she could hear someone on the way toward the cells. It was most likely a guard making his rounds. "I wish I could stay, but the sun is going to rise in a few hours. I must be off. You'll see your family soon enough."

She picked up her lantern and ran out the cell, leaving everything looking the way it was when she got there.

**Okay, so I own the mystery girl. I apologize for such the long wait. Like I said in my other update, school is a killer. But it's almost over. All right, please review. No flames. If it is moving a little too fast, tell me, and I'll try and slow it up. But no guarantees. Thanks for reading. Lil-Rock**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own Sage and her friend Dinnay.**

Ronon opened his eyes as the sun filtered through the window of his cell. He made a move to sit up from the ground, but was immediately floored as pain shot through his back. He groaned as he lay on the ground for a few seconds. He wanted to curl up into a ball, but any and every movement to his body brought him pain.

He must have groaned quite loudly because the cells quieted when he did. After a few minutes of awkward silence, whispers of the cellmates made their way to Ronon.

"He's awake."

"Is he all right?"

"I thought that he would have been out longer."

"Amazing."

"He is quite strong."

"Who was she?" That statement tore through all others and caught Ronon's attention.

He made his way up to a sitting position and leaned against the wall as much as he could without aggravating the wounds on his back. The movement caused him much agony, and a sheet of sweat coated his face. "Who?" he finally asked after catching his breath.

The entire cell block silenced again. They weren't really sure that he had said something, but someone must have heard him. "The person who was in your cell," someone replied.

"There wasn't anyone in my cell," Ronon said.

"Yes, there was. We all saw… heard her. Well, at least we thought it was a female. We heard her whispering to you," added another voice.

"When was this?"

"Two mornings before."

Ronon frowned. "Two mornings? I've been asleep for that long?" He couldn't believe that he had lost two days of consciousness over a stupid move.

"Aye. Your beating must have taken a lot out of you."

"You didn't hear her?" asked another cellmate.

Ronon groaned. "No. I didn't."

"Well, we wouldn't have been able to hear her except for the fact that most of us were awake. She must have thought that we were all asleep. She was crying."

"She?" _**Who could it have been?**_ he thought. "What did she say?" His eyes widened with realization. And with that realization he sighed. "Wait. Did you say two days ago?"

Everyone in the cells held their breath. "What is wrong, Satedan?" someone whispered, breaking the silence.

"I have to fight again today," he said matching the other person's volume.

"Are you able to?"

"It doesn't matter if I'm able to. I have to. Do you know who I'm fighting?"

"No one in the cells."

Ronon made a move to sit toward the gate of his cell. "Why not?"

"They're trying to kill you, Satedan."

"They've been trying to kill me since I got here," he said with a smile. Or as much of a smile that anyone could put on in this place. "So, who am I fighting?"

"Jethran."

Sheer confusion fell over Ronon. He had known everyone's name, but he had never heard of this Jethran character. He thought through all of the cellmates. "Who is Jethran?" he finally asked, thinking that someone else was brought in. _**But why would everyone except me know his name.**_

"The person who was whipping you."

"I'm fighting a guard."

"Yeah."

Ronon could have sworn that he heard everyone's heart drop to their stomachs. The sadness in the reply and the silence that followed broke his spirit. He rested his head against the corner where the gate and the wall met. "They really are trying to kill me," he whispered, not caring if anyone heard.

Ronon heard the footsteps down the hall and dropped his head. He moved his head so that the guards could open the cell without smashing it before his fight. The two guards lifted him up and shook their heads. They, like almost everyone else in the cell block, respected him. The two large men helped Ronon walk to the entrance.

A sad chorus of 'Goodbye, Satedan' was heard as he passed each cell. They all knew he was going to die. What they didn't see was the life in his eyes was fading. They didn't realize that he was already dying.

LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLR

Sage woke up as the rays of the sun filtered through the trees and settled on her face. She moved out of the way and was shocked awake as the cold floor of the cave met her. She rubbed her face and reached for some of her equipment that she brought with her. She brought a communicator and dialed her home. A handsome boy's face appeared on the screen. "Hello?" he answered.

"Hey, Dinnay." Sage replied.

"You're late, Sage," he said looking at his watch.

She stood up from the ground and walked outside of the cave. "What do you mean, I'm late?"

"You were supposed to check in an hour ago," Dinnay said. He held up his watch to the screen and showed it to her.

Sage squinted her eyes to look at the numbers. It didn't help because it was a blurry mess no matter how much she adjusted her angle. "What do you mean an hour ago?"

"Obviously you slept in. What happened two nights ago? Because you can only avoid my questions for so long."

Sage ignored her friend's question again. "Dinnay, I'm going to stay on this planet for a few more days."

The statement startled Dinnay. Sage wanted to change subjects, and Dinnay went for it, without realizing it. "Why?"

Sage looked down. Her eyes couldn't meet the eyes on the screen. "I found him," she whispered, not sure if he could hear her.

"Are you sure it's him?" he replied just as soft.

"I'm sure," she said. "I saw him."

"You saw him?"

"I saw him," she repeated.

"Are you—"

"I'm fine," she interrupted, her voice softer than before.

Dinnay shook his head. It was a common Sage defense mechanism and he knew it. "No, you're not."

"Dinnay, don't tell me whether I am or am not fine!" she yelled. She shrank back when she realized what she had done. "I'm sorry." She let her temper get the best of her, and she was disappointed that she did. Especially since her anger was directed toward Dinnay.

"I'm a doctor."

"But you can't heal what is going on inside my head."

"Sage, don't let the fact that he is your—"

"It won't," she interrupted.

He had known Sage for years. She had a hard head, but when it came to finding Ronon, she had almost broken down many times. "It could," he replied.

"It won't. _I_ won't let it get in the way."

Sage stood up and walked around the cave looking for something, thus halting the conversation. She found her vest and loaded them with grenades and anything else she thought she would need. She walked back in front of the screen and sat down. "Okay. Every hour. You better check in or I'm coming down myself," Dinnay replied continuing the conversation.

"I know," she replied. A smile crept onto her face.

"Take care of yourself," he said sincerely. He looked at his watch again. "You better get a move on. I think that you might be behind schedule."

She picked up her sword from the side of her pillow and strapped it to her back. "I know."

"You've got your work cut out for you this time."

She picked up her two guns and put them in the holsters at her hip. The last thing she did was put on her coat. "I know," she repeated nonchalantly.

"Yeah."

"Has that ever stopped me?" she said, sending a challenging look to Dinnay.

"I'm just stating facts."

"Are you saying I'm in over my head?"

"Will it get me punched in the face?" he asked innocently.

Sage laughed. "No."

"Then maybe."

"I have to go, Dinnay. I think you were right. I am late. And I have to see him. I think he is fighting again today. At least, that's what I've heard."

"Every hour."

"I know."

"Go."

"Bye, Dinnay."

"Sage," he said before she turned off the screen. He didn't wait for her to say anything. "He'll be back with us soon."

"I know."

She turned the screen off, walked out of the cave, and started her long walk back toward the city.

**I know that it took forever for me to update, and I'm sorry. I seriously ran into a wall with this story. I lost my inspiration for awhile because the show hadn't been on for a long time. But I saw the commercials for a new season and I felt inspired. Haven't watched the first episode of the new season yet, have it on tape, so I can't wait. Also I heard that Ronon has an episode all about him. Wooohooo! All right, hope you all enjoyed. Please review. Lil-Rock**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own anyone you haven't heard of before.**

It was easy for Jethran to get the upper hand on Ronon with the weakened state he was in. No one had ever been able to beat Ronon as easily as Jethran had. Ronon was already defeated before the fight started; Jethran was just toying with the Satedan. This was supposed to be a fight to the death, and Jethran was drawing it out for as long as possible.

There was no cheering in the crowd this day. The cheering for the Satedan was loud and boisterous while he stood in the center of the arena waiting for his opponent, but as soon as the guard entered, looking ready to fight, the crowd silenced immediately. They all knew Ronon was going to die and were quieted by it.

If Ronon looked up at the crowd, he would have been able to see that not many were watching the fight. But he wasn't concerned with the crowd. He was concerned with the fight and with which blow was going to be his final one.

Jethran punched Ronon in the face and floored him for what had to be the twentieth time in the fight. Ronon didn't think he would have able to get up after that, but his body thought different and fought to get into a standing position. He made it up to his knee and that was all before he felt two large hands grab him and easily throw him.

"Satedan! Satedan! Satedan!" a single person started chanting.

And through all the silence, Ronon could hear it. In all of his previous fights, the chanting provided him some sort of adrenaline rush, but it was different this time. _**It won't help me this time**_, he thought. _**Don't cheer for me, I'm really dead.**_

The rest of the crowd joined the chant, and soon the entire arena was chanting, "Satedan! Satedan! Satedan!"

Kane watched the entire incident unfold from his seat. He was at a different level from the crowd, but he was in everyone's view. He stood from his seat and walked toward the railing. The movement caused the arena to fall back into silence. "Finish it!" Kane yelled.

Jethran smiled and nodded with delight. He took out a knife and ran over to Ronon. The crowd yelled this time in protest. He lifted up the Satedan who was as close to dead weight he could be while still alive. "Smell the blade, Satedan, before it kills you."

Ronon turned his head as Jethran held the blade in front of his face. He kicked Ronon in the stomach causing him to forcefully inhale and catch a sniff of the blade. "Poison," Ronon whispered.

"That's right."

Jethran moved his arm in an upward slash and stabbed Ronon in his side. He twisted the blade a little to inflict some pain. Ronon opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Jethran pulled the blade out and Ronon lost all of the support keeping him upright. He fell gracelessly to the ground, and this time he couldn't get up.

The crowd gasped and looked away. Some stood up and filed out of the arena as fast as possible. Other stood and waited with hope that he wasn't dead. Ronon's small movements on the ground gave them that hope.

Kane stood from his seat and made his way down to the arena as quickly as he could. When he got to the floor level, he wasn't sure himself if the Satedan was alive. But the erratic rise and fall of his chest told him different. When Kane got closer to Ronon, the audience took the hint and filed out of the arena. "You were a good fighter, Satedan. Really were. Brought me good business. But I can't have you here to start an uproar."

Ronon's hand moved to his side as he put as much pressure on his wound as he could. "You just made me immortal," he said through gritted teeth.

"The gates of the arena opened and the cellmates and all the guards were let into the circle. "Maybe I did."

"You're letting me go?"

"No. You're still going to die."

Ronon closed his eyes and nodded. "I don't want to die here," he whispered.

"I'll grant you that, Satedan," Kane whispered. "Because of you, I am the rich man that I am." Kane looked at the guards and chose two men he knew wouldn't hurt the Satedan in his state, but didn't have much respect for him. He signaled them to come to him. "Where do you want to go?"

"Not here."

"The woods?" Ronon nodded his head again, his voice leaving him. "The wound was only supposed to look grave. The real killer is supposed to be the poison. Because you still need to suffer." The two men picked Ronon up and each threw an arm over their shoulder. "Take him to the woods. And leave him there to die. Make sure no one follows."

The two men concurred and carried Ronon out of the arena. The other fighters looked away as he left, each knowing that it would be the last time they would see him alive. If they weren't so tough and didn't have to put up the tough façade, they would have cried. But this wasn't the place, like it wasn't the place for smiles. "Get these fighters back to their cells. No one is to talk about the Satedan," Kane demanded and stomped off.

LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLR

Sage got to the arena when the last of the people were leaving. She put up his hood so that they couldn't see her face. She walked over to a man and stood in his way, stopping him from continuing in his direction. "I want you to tell me if you've seen a Satedan in these parts of the galaxy," she said.

The man stepped back in alarm, but relaxed when he heard that it was a girl who stopped him. "Yes, I have. He just came out of the arena. He looked badly injured if you ask me."

"I didn't," she snapped.

"I don't think he will survive the night," the man said. He continued talking, oblivious to the tone in Sage's voice. "He was a great warrior too.

The man's indifference angered Sage. She grabbed a knife that was hidden in her hair and held it to the man's throat. "Don't talk about him like he is already dead."

"I… I'm just saying what… what everyone else is thinking," the man stuttered.

"What happened in the fight?" The man opened his mouth to talk, but nothing came out because he was scared. "Tell me!" she screamed pushing the blade forward.

"He was fighting a guard. He was stabbed. He wasn't supposed to come out of that fight alive."

"Where are they taking him now?"

"I don't know. He was the last known of his kind. They will probably bury him in the woods when he dies."

Sage let the man go and pulled down her hood. "He isn't the last of his kind," she said, showing him the mark on her neck.

She took out a blaster and set it to stun, shooting the man in the chest. Sage was off running toward the woods before the man hit the ground unconscious.

**Okay. I wasn't exactly happy with the last chapter. Honestly, it was hard for me to write. This one was easier for some reason. I know that this chapter is really short, but it's a set-up for the next chapter. Thanks to all those who reviewed. I hope this turned out fine. Please review. Lil-Rock**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: You should know who I own by now, but if you don't, it's all the random characters. Sage and Dinnay are mine too.**

The further the three men walked, the harder it became for the guards to carry Ronon deeper into the forest. He was getting weaker with each step he took, which meant that they had to carry more of his weight, and Ronon wasn't a light person to carry. Ronon tried as best he could to breathe. He fought to keep living because he didn't want to die now that he was out of the arena. But he was in pain. And he could feel the poison coursing through his veins. He could have sworn he felt each cell in his body on fire because of it.

The two guards had their own conversation around him only stopping every once in awhile to ask Ronon if he was still alive. Ronon could only exhale in response. When the pain would reach nauseating peaks he would revert back to the ancient Satedan language he learned as a child, not realizing when he did.

The guards would have never said it, but they felt privileged to be around when the Satedan language was spoken. When those moments came, the guards fell silent and all that was heard was the rustle of the leaves and Ronon. For all they knew, they were watching the demise of the final person of an entire race.

Then a different sound reached their ears. They all looked around when they heard the sound of someone approaching. "Who's there?" one of the guards asked.

A hooded figure stepped out in front of them. They had no clue who the person before them was but the figure knew one of them. The only thing that the guards thought was that the person in front of them was a threat. "What do you want?" the other guard asked.

"Satedan," the hooded figure said.

The men who were carrying Ronon stopped walking. They breathed a sigh of relief when they realized that it was only a girl who was threatening them. With much effort, Ronon lifted his head long enough to see who wanted him, but all he could see was a blurry figure. "What do you want, little girl?" the guard asked again.

"My family's blood has been spilled. I'm here seeking retribution for it," Sage hissed.

"And what does that have to do with me?" Ronon asked.

She reached into her coat and pulled out two blasters faster than the other men could react. They didn't even have a chance to draw their weapons when she shot them square in the chests and they fell to the ground like uprooted trees. "Nothing," she said.

Without the two men to hold him up, Ronon swayed where he stood. "I must be delirious because those look and sound like Satedan weapons."

"They are," she said putting the guns back in their holsters.

"Why did you shoot them?"

"I can't have any more blood from my family spilled," Sage said, walking passed him.

"Are they dead?" Ronon asked.

"I set the guns to stun," she said without looking back.

Ronon contemplated following the little girl. There was an air of familiarity about her, but he didn't know if it was just the state of mind he was in. "So are you going to kill me?"

The words made Sage stop in her tracks. "Why would I?"

"To avenge your kin. Are you going to kill me?"

"Yes."

"Then why didn't you—"

"Of course not," Sage interrupted. "If I was going to kill you, why would I take you all the way out here to do it?"

"To torture me."

"I'm not going to kill you." Sage unholstered one of her guns and walked over to Ronon and held it in front of him. "The coils in this gun and this gun," she said pointing to the one on her hip, "aren't for you. Blood is still being spilled, but I am here to stop it. We need to leave, before someone comes looking for these men," she said putting the gun away and walking back in the direction she was headed before Ronon interrupted her. "Are you coming?" she yelled back.

"Who are you?"

"You need to stop asking questions. Actually save your strength and stop talking all together. We aren't making it to the portal tonight."

"Portal?" Ronon asked slowly following the girl.

"I'm taking you back to your people."

"Why should I trust you?" Ronon demanded.

"You don't have to trust me. But you're still alive." Sage looked back and saw that Ronon was trailing behind. Ronon leaned against a tree and gasped trying to get air into his deprived lungs. "Can you walk?"

When a sufficient amount of oxygen was in his lungs he spoke. "If I need to," he replied.

"You need to."

"Then I can walk."

Sage walked over to Ronon and threw his arm around her shoulders. She was a lot shorter than Ronon was, so she didn't really know if it did anything for him. But for her, it was more of a reassurance that he was there with her. Because of their proximity, she felt him stumble the further along they walked and it scared her.

When the cave was in her view and less than fifty yards away, Sage smiled. She knew that Ronon wouldn't have been able to go further than that. "We're almost there," she said reassuringly.

Ronon looked up and Sage pointed to the cave. Ronon breathed a sigh of relief. He felt his body slowly giving out on him and by now, everything in his body seared with every step he took. "Okay," Ronon forced from his lips.

They got into the cave and Sage propped him up against the wall. She grabbed his chin and looked into his eyes. She was disappointed when she saw the look of defeat in them. "Do you want to die?" Ronon moved his face out of her grip and looked away. "Answer the question, Satedan."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I want to know if I'm wasting my time trying to save your life," she said trying to get some fight back in him. She didn't want him to give up, and she was still going to do everything to save his life, even if he didn't want it. She was just hoping that he had found a reason to live.

"I don't want to die here. Not this way."

"Okay," she whispered with a smile.

"But I want and what will probably happen isn't the same thing."

"The poison," she said. Ronon replied with a nod. "I'm… I'm going to have to purge it."

Ronon groaned at her words. They knew exactly what she had to do, but he didn't think he would survive it. "Okay."

She walked over to the other side of the cave and rummaged through one of the bags she brought with her. She took out a bottle of pills, a needle, and a serum. "I have some drugs to—"

"No drugs," Ronon interjected.

"Satedan."

"No drugs," he repeated.

"You're going to be in a lot of pain. You're no use to me dead."

"I don't care. If you make me sleep, I'll never wake up."

Sage was torn. She didn't want to cause Ronon any more pain, but she wanted to honor his words. She resigned and put the drugs back in her bag. She walked back over and knelt in front of Ronon. "I need you to trust me," Sage said. "I know I haven't given you any reason to, but I need you to."

"You seem really familiar to me," Ronon said, reaching up to touch her cheek.

She moved out of the way just in time. "So what does that mean?"

"I trust you."

Sage received the approval that she sought. She walked out of the cave. "I need to gather a few supplies. I'll be gone for a few minutes. Will you be okay?"

Ronon waved her off with a flick of the wrist.

She walked to the nearest water source with a large canteen in her hand and filled it up. When it was filled, she sat it next to her, fell to her knees and cried. After all the years of searching for him, she had finally found him.

She was the one who found him. Nothing could take that moment away from her. And nothing could stop her from crying. She was overflowing with such emotion that came pouring out in her moment of solitude. She cried because she was happy, but also sad. She was sad at the condition Ronon was in. But she couldn't let him see that. The last thing he would want from anyone was pity and he needed her to be strong.

She wiped the tears from her cheek, gathered the canteen, and headed back toward the cave. When she got back, she saw his head lolled to the side and panicked. She braced his shoulders and lightly shook him. "Ronon! Wake up! Ronon!" she yelled. She cursed herself for dropping her cover and using his name, but it was a moment of urgency.

Ronon blearily blinked his eyes and sat up. "Teyla?" he asked.

"No." She took off her coat and rolled it into a ball. She would have grabbed her pillow, but it was too far, and she needed to get him ready. "I need you to lie down," she replied.

"Where is Sheppard?" Ronon asked again.

"You're delirious. I'm not Teyla and I don't know who this Sheppard is that you're talking about. Now lie down."

Sage helped get him onto the coat and comfortable. "What's going on?"

"I just need you to relax."

"Is Weir mad?"

"Furious," she replied. She decided that it would do him less harm if he thought he was with familiar people.

"I couldn't let them trade and kill you guys."

"It's okay," she whispered. "You were poisoned, and right now I have to get the poison out of you. And I can't do that if you're not relaxed."

Ronon understood and started to take deeper breaths. Sage left the cave again and started a small fire. She took out the blade she used to threaten the man into telling her where Ronon was and held it over the flame. She needed to sterilize the blade and that was the only way she could.

She walked back into the cave and saw Ronon's eyes closed, but also a nearly rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. She took the sheet that she used as a blanket and ripped it into small strips. She grabbed a piece of cloth, dampened it with the water in the canteen, and wrapped the knife in it to cool it. The hissing sound of the water meeting the heat echoed through the cave, but Ronon never stirred once.

Sage knelt next to the older Satedan and looked at the stab wound. It had already begun to scab over. She placed her hand on the wound and gently pressed on it.

Her hand came in contact with Ronon's skin and it felt damp. She placed the back of her hand on his forehead. He had a fever and if she didn't bring it down, there was going to be some permanent brain damage.

She pressed down on another section of his abdomen and Ronon's eyes shot open and he gasped, his back arching off the ground. Sage placed a hand on his chest and eased him back down. Ronon started coughing and blood trickled out of the corners of his mouth. Sage rolled him onto his side so he wouldn't choke on his blood. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she whispered. "The poison is working too fast."

Ronon blinked a couple of times trying to get the haze out of his eyes, but it didn't work. His eyes were glazed over. "It's okay. Are you going to start now?" he asked.

"Yes. Are you ready?" Ronon nodded. Sage took a one of the sheets and crumpled it into a ball and opened Ronon's mouth for him. She placed it inside and closed it. She unwrapped the knife and showed it to Ronon. She leaned over and kissed Ronon on the forehead. "_All will be well,_" she whispered in ancient Satedan. The confused look on Ronon's face told her that he had understood.

Sage took the blade and slowly inserted it into the stab wound that Ronon received earlier. Ronon eyes were locked on the movements of girl in front of him. That was one of the only things that he could concentrate on at the moment. That and his breathing. Sage pushed the blade in deeper and Ronon bit into the cloth.

The pain was excruciation for him. His side felt like someone kept ramming a knife into his side over and over again. The coolness of the blade against his feverish body made his breath hitch in his throat.

Sage pushed the blade in with an inch left to the hilt and pulled it out. She felt Ronon tense under her fingers. She pushed down on the areas around the wound which caused the pain in him to erupt. Because of the sharp pain, he lost consciousness. Sage looked up as she felt the body relax under her ministrations. She took the cloth out of his mouth and tossed it to the side.

She continued pressing on the wound and scowled with disdain at the color of the blood flowing out of him. Instead of a crimson color, it was a thick, tar-like, black. Black because of the poison affecting the cells. She left him for a moment to grab the sheets and wiped up some of the blood.

She continued to press down around the wound until she saw red. There were times that she thought it was too late, and he was going to just bleed to death, but she kept going. The moment she saw red, the sun had begun to set. "Thank the heavens," she sighed, wiping the sweat off her forehead with her forearm.

She didn't have the knowledge to stitch him up properly, so she clotted the blood as best she could with the cloths.

With much effort, she lifted Ronon up and sat him up against the wall again. She rinsed the blood off her hands and Ronon's torso with the remaining water. She walked over to the bag that was full of drugs and took out a vial. It was filled with oil. She poured it onto her hands and spread it on the wound. After the wound was coated, she took the ripped up sheets and wrapped them around his torso.

She breathed a sigh of relief. She was proud of herself. Sage had gotten most of the poison out and she hoped that it was enough for him to live. She put her hand on his forehead and felt less heat rising. "Better than what I thought it would be."

Sage needed to move him one more time for him to get a comfortable sleep, and she groaned. She couldn't put him where he just was because it was covered in his blood. She contemplated moving him to the back of the cave, but it was too far, so she decided to move him toward the entrance of the cave.

She threw his arm around her shoulders and lifted him up with much effort. After what seemed like an eternity, she moved him from leaning the wall to lying near the entrance. She grabbed her pillow and tucked it under his head. She stood up and sat at the entrance of the cave. She stretched her aching muscles, groaning when they reached their limit. She desperately wanted to sleep, but she knew she wouldn't get any this night. She unclipped the gun holsters and removed her vest, throwing them off to the side.

Looking back at Ronon, she gasped. His eyes were wide open. He looked around frantically as if he was searching for something. "You're okay," she said kneeling next to him and brushing his hair back.

"I feel exhausted."

"Go to sleep, Ronon Dex," she said, her defense slowly crumbling, but she didn't care.

"How do you know my name? I never told it to you," he said although his throat was dry.

"I know you. I know all about you."

"Is that all you are going to tell me?"

"That is all you need to know. Now rest. We have a long way to go tomorrow."

Ronon recognized the tone and closed his eyes. Within minutes, he was asleep. Sage stayed up and watched him as he slept. She was afraid to sleep herself because she felt that if she slept, she would wake up and he would be gone, as if everything that was happening was a dream.

She regretted ripping up the sheet because now she had nothing to put over Ronon. And he looked like he needed it.

A feeling that Sage was forgetting to do something kept bugging her the entire day. And now that she was sitting there, looking at the sky, she wracked her brain trying to remember. She watched the dying ashes hoping they would trigger something, but nothing came to her.

She slapped her forehead when she finally remembered. She jumped over Ronon grabbed her communicator. She dialed home and Dinnay answered. On the screen was Dinnay who looked like he was ready for combat. "What are you doing?" Sage asked walking toward the entrance.

"You didn't check in. I'm coming down there, now," Dinnay yelled.

"No, you're staying right there," Sage argued.

"No," Dinnay replied adamantly. "I told you that if you don't check in every hour, I'd come down. You're about five hours late."

"I have a good reason."

"What could possibly be a good enough reason for worrying me?"

Sage tipped the screen and Ronon's face was transmitted through to Dinnay. "That good enough for you?" she whispered.

"Sage, that's Ronon. It's your—"

"I know, Dinnay."

"Is he real? Stupid question, of course he's real. Is he okay?"

"I don't know." Sage went on to tell him about what happened earlier in the day. From threatening a civilian, to shooting the guards, to having to purge the poison. "I was actually surprised that he woke up."

"That's a good thing though, right?" Dinnay said.

"I hope so."

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Exhausted. But besides that, I'm fine."

"So I can be expecting you back in…"

"Two days. Maximum," she replied. "I'll give him a day to rest. We aren't too far from the range of the signal."

"You get some rest too," Dinnay said being a mother hen. "You can't help him if you're all worn out. Look, I know you're tired, so I'll let you go. I'll be waiting okay."

"Thanks, Dinnay. For everything."

"What are… friends for right? Sage, I'll see you later. Try and sleep okay."

"Bye, Dinnay. I love you," she replied.

Dinnay looked away from the screen and blushed. He turned to face her and saluted before turning of the screen. Sage placed the communicator at her side and put out the fire, or what was left of it.

She leaned against the entrance of the cave and looked up toward the heavens. "Thank you," she whispered to the gods, and closed her eyes, forcing herself to try and get some sleep.

**Okay… I am so sorry that it took me so long to get this story up. First, I didn't transfer it to my laptop, so it was stuck on my home computer for two months. And now that I'm in college, I don't have all the free time in the world. Sorry. That was a long chapter for me to write. Hope you guys are okay with where it's going. I don't know if I'll use Sateda in my story, but at this point, who knows. Thanks to everyone who is reading this story. Please review. Lil-Rock**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yes, it's true. Finally an update.**

**Disclaimer: I only own who doesn't belong to the show. **

One hour before the sun rose, Sage jerked awake. She looked around and took in her surroundings remembering that she wasn't on the base she called home, but in the woods of the planet, Etuate.

Looking back, she saw the older Satedan sleeping peacefully. The rise and fall of his chest assured her that Ronon had survived everything and was now only asleep. She reached out to feel for a fever, but retracted her hand at the last moment. "He's really there, Sage. Come on. He's there. He won't disappear like in your dreams," she whispered, assuring herself.

She touched his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't disappear like she thought he would, and there was only a small hint of fever indicating that there was no infection. She only needed to worry about the blood loss and the reoccurrence of the poison, knowing she didn't get all of it out of his blood.

She grabbed the empty water canteen and made her way back toward the stream. She filled it up as much as she could and made her way back to the cave to find a still sleeping Ronon. She used the water to clean as much dirt off of his face and body as she could using the few rags that weren't soiled with blood.

When Ronon was as clean as Sage could get him, she gathered the canteen and all the cloths and headed back to the stream. She cleaned them as well as she could with the feeling inside that she was going to need them in the near future.

She sat at the base of a nearby tree when she was done, waiting for the sun to come up.

Just as the sun peaked over the horizon, she heard the sound of a twig snapping behind her. She reached for a gun at her hip and chastised herself when all she grabbed was air. She continued to sit with her back facing the threat and waited for it to make the first move. "Who are you?" the deep voice rumbled.

Sage turned around and saw Ronon using another nearby tree to keep himself standing. "What are you doing awake?" Sage replied.

"My body told me it was time to wake up. Now you answer my question."

"Does it matter?" she asked moving to a standing position and brushing herself off.

"To me, it does."

"I saved your life. Shouldn't that be enough?"

"And I thank you for that. But you still didn't answer my question."

"You will remember eventually. Come, have a seat by the stream." Sage didn't make an attempt to help because she knew that he was stubborn and wouldn't have accepted the help anyway. He sat down next to the area she was sitting and waited for her to join him. "I'm actually surprised you're awake."

"Me too," Ronon answered not knowing why he did or why he was having such an easy time talking to her. "I thought that I would be…"

"Dead? You should be. But I wasn't about to let you die."

"You don't even know me."

"You only say that because you don't remember me. It has been nine years."

"You won't let me."

"Because you already do. You know me. I promise."

"You're going to keep saying that aren't you."

"Maybe. Now sit up. I have to check your back. See any if any of your wounds are infected. I was so concerned with your most significant injury I completely ignored the others."

Ronon straightened his back while Sage inspected all of the wounds. She took one of the rags she had just cleaned and used it to clean his back. Ronon hissed and sucked in a breath as the coolness of the rag met his healing back. When the ministrations stopped, he breathed a sigh of relief. "How does it look?"

Sage wished she had brought a shirt with her that he could have worn. "Better than I expected. But then again, you're a Dex. Fast healers."

"Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"Why not? You said you know me."

"I do."

"Really?" Ronon replied incredulously. "You just know my name."

"Specialist Ronon Dex of Sateda. Made Specialist at the age of 19 after joining the Satedan military at age 15 against your family's wishes. Was married to a woman named Melena for just over a year. You-"

"Okay, okay. I got it. How do you know all of this?" Ronon pried.

"You should know. But you're delirious."

"You could be a bounty hunter."

Sage stood up taking the dirty rags to the stream to clean them again. "Not really."

"You act like it."

"Yes, I admit that I've hunted people down for money. But that was the past. There are people that want to see you alive and they would have given everything to see it happen," she said solemnly.

"But they didn't," he replied.

"They didn't need to."

"Why?"

She stood up and dried off her hands on her pants. She walked over to him and squatted before him. "_Do you trust me?_" she asked in Satedan.

"_I trusted you before you stuck that knife into my side_," he subconsciously replied in the same language. His hand went to his mouth. He hadn't used ancient Satedan in a conversation in nearly a decade, but those specific words felt right to use.

"_I know. But do you trust me now._"

"_I do_," Ronon said.

Sage smiled that he trusted her. The smile quickly faded when Ronon inhaled deeply then suddenly let out a strained cough. "Ronon? Are you okay?"

Ronon shook his head as he continued to cough. His whole body shook as he did. When the coughing finally subsided, Ronon spoke up. "Something isn't right," he whispered.

He wiped his mouth and a streak of blood came away. Both Sage and Ronon took it as a bad sign. Sage's hand immediately went to Ronon's forehead and she bit her lip in anger. The thing she worried about had happened. The poison was coming back more potent than before. "We have to go."

"Why?" Ronon asked.

"Because if I'm right, the poison is already attacking your body. And it's stronger than it was before," she said solemnly. "You're going to have to walk."

"I can."

"For two hours."

"If it gets me out of here, I can walk." Using the tree to help him, he was able to stand. "Is there something that I can call you? Because I don't like talking to people if I don't know their names."

"Then I guess we won't be talking that much. But if you really need to call me something, call me… Ama."

"Okay. Ama," Ronon repeated in agreement.

"We have to go back to the cave. I have to get all of my supplies then we can leave. Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah. Let's go," Ronon said.

Sage and Ronon walked back to the cave together. Sage gave Ronon his space, but kept her eye on him the entire time. When they reached the cave, Sage ran back inside and quickly packed all of her things. She pulled out an earpiece and put it where it needed to be before she walked out. "I'm packed."

Ronon leaned against the cave entrance looking in. His eyes never leaving a spot on the dirt floor. "Is that my blood?"

"Yeah."

"All of it is mine?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You did what you needed to do."

"Not enough, because you're not in the clear," she whispered with guilt.

Ronon heard it in her tone and didn't want her to feel that way. "I'll be fine." He reassured her. "I can't have gone through all of that and die from something like poison."

Sage laughed in reply. "I guess you're right." She looked back into the cave to make sure that she had everything that she brought to the planet. "We can head out, but I have one rule."

"What?"

"If I think you look like you need help, I'm helping you, no complaints."

"Okay," Ronon replied.

Sage was surprised that she didn't get more a fight from him. But he wanted to live, and that's all that Sage cared for. And it showed that he trusted her. Something that should have taken years to earn, she earned in less than two days.

Or maybe it didn't have to be earned. Just remembered.

Sage hoped for the latter. "Let's go," she replied.

"Let's," Ronon agreed.

The two of them started walking with Sage taking lead. The walk was mostly silent, besides Ronon's strained breathing in the background. She felt that hearing him having difficulty breathing was better than him not breathing at all.

Sage slowed her pace when she had trouble hearing Ronon's footsteps behind her. That was an hour and a half into their walk. "Are you all right?" Sage asked, walking back to him.

"Yeah," Ronon said.

"Why don't we take a break?" she suggested. "We're not that far, and we have plenty of sunlight to kill."

"Sounds good."

They found a fallen tree and they both thought that it was a perfect spot to rest. They took their seats on it and sat in silence. "There's something else on your mind."

"I just want to know who you are. I know it sounds like I'm repeating myself."

Sage held up her hand to stop him from talking. "I can't tell you. Not in the state you're in. And I want you to remember."

Ronon sighed in defeat. "I'm delirious and my thoughts are clouded. I probably won't remember having this conversation."

"You're probably right," Sage laughed. "Are you rested enough?" Ronon nodded. "We should continue."

"I'm ready," Ronon said, and he stood up without Sage's help.

They continued walking in the same direction they were headed before taking their break. "You stood up by yourself," Sage whispered. She noticed that he was walking a little easier. "You look better."

"Not reflecting the way I feel," Ronon groaned.

Sage laughed. She realized that it was subtle, but it was Ronon's attempt at humor. "I've missed you, Anari," Sage said. Her hand quickly went to her mouth hoping that he didn't hear her.

He did. "Anari?" Ronon asked. "Only one person has ever called me that. You said that your name was Ama. Ama…" his voice trailed off as he tried to remember. "Amano."

Sage turned around to face Ronon. She made eye contact with him and silently begged him to look into her eyes and remember. "It's me, Sage."

"Sage?" Ronon repeated. "I thought that you had died. "Sage, my—"

A gunshot nearby rang off interrupting Ronon's revelation. Even in his weakened state, he could hear the sound of distant footsteps coming toward them. Sage stepped in front of Ronon to make sure that whoever was running toward them, she would be the first person they met. "Run!" she yelled, and unholstered both of her guns. "You're not strong enough to fight."

She turned them on as soon as she heard Ronon's footsteps heading away from her.

**Okay, so it has been a year since I've updated this story. I've had this chapter sitting in my drive forever. I just couldn't finish writing it because the last episode I'd seen was Sateda. So, basically, this story is without the knowledge of future episodes. If there are any Ronon-centric episodes that I've missed, can someone please fill me in? Also, thanks for reading this story. I promise I'll try to update it more often. I've been inspired again. Please review and no flames. Lil-Rock.**


End file.
